Spinning-top



' NITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

LOUIS ORAMER, OF BROOKLYN, Nnw YORK.

SPINNING-TOP.

Spcciiication forming part ofLetters Patent No. 45,8! 6, dated January l0, 1865.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, Louis CRAMER, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State ot'Ncw York, have invented a new and Improved Spinnin g-Top 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof", which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ot' this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents a perspective view of this invention.v Fig. 2 is a vertical central section ot' the saine.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to an improvementin that class ot' spinning-tops in which a spring is employed for lthe purpose of imparting to the top the desired whirling motion. The springl isinclosed in a barrel, which is tted loosely to a central arbor, one end of said spring being connected to the barrel and the other to the arbor, and the arbor is hollow at its lower end to iit over the shank ofthe spinning-top. A pin projecting from this shank catches in a notch in the arbor, and a series of ratchet-teeth at the lower end of the barrel also catch over said pinin such a manner that when the hollow arbor is put over the shank otl the top, and the spring is wound up by turning the bari el with one hand 'while the other holds the top, the barrel and the top are firmly locked together as long as the pin projecting from the shank ofthe top catchesin the notch ot' the hollow arbor and also in one of the ratchet-teeth, and the spring is prevented from unwinding until by depressing the arbor the pin disengages from the ratchet-tooth and a powerful whirling motion is imparted to the top.

A represents a spinning-top, made of tinned sheet-iron or any other suitable material, in the usual form, and with a hole, d, in its side to produce a humming sound during the mot-ion of said top.

In order to impart a whirling motion to the top it is provided with a shank, a', projecting from its upper end, as clearly shown in Fig. l ot'the drawings. llhis shank tits into a hollow arbor, b,which passes through thel arrel c, that incloses the coiled spring d. The arbor is retained in the barrel by the spring, the inner end of which is secured to said arbor, while its outer end is fastened to the barrel, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The lower end ot' the barrel is provided with a notch, e, to catch over a pin, j', projecting from the shank of the-top, aid the barrel c is provided with a series of ratchetteeth, g, which also catch over the pin f when the sprii gis wound up.

In order to wind up the spring the shank of the top is inserted into the hollow barrel so that the pin f catches in the notch e, andby holding the top in one hand and turning the barrel with the other the spring is wound up. Four or tive turns given to the barrel are sufticient to impart to the spring the desired tension. In winding the barrel the inclined backs ofthe ratchet-teeth slide over the pin, and the vertical sides of said teeth, striking aga-inst the pin, prevent the spring from unwinding spontaneously until by pressing on the upper end ofthe arbor b the pin f is forced clear of the ratchet-teeth, and the spring, being free to unwind, imparts a powerful whirling motion to the top.

I do not claim, broadly, as my invention the use of a whirling-jack for spinning-tops, such having been used before; but- I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- A notch, e, in the hollow arbor b, in combination with the ratchet-teeth g, on the barrel c, which incloses the spring d, and with the pin j', projecting from the shank of the top, constructed and operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

LOUIS CRAMER.

Witnesses:

W. HAUFF, J AMES F. BUOKLEY. 

